futile efforts

hi again. this would be peter, of course. my mom quit. strange, isn't it, how five minutes ago i was sitting in this same place, complaining to the world about how i never wanted to blog, but my mom bribed me into it, and now here i am again, drawn by the irresistible pull of another dollar to my name. anyway, i was thinking about how my mom tries to sell us on the idea that designing toddlers clothes was "cool." you should hear her at dinner. "so, who wants to see my new dress design?" (utter silence) "hey, i think i'll show you my new dress design." (groans) "hey, guys..." and so on. what this goes to show, i can't figure out, so i'll think about it and write again later...

maybe sometime in the next century, if you're lucky. - P.W.

taking over

hi. peter wilson here. recently, my mom told me that she was too lazy to run a blog, and i could take over if i wanted. so, i'll give it a try. now, of course she wants me to write something real deep about the trauma of being the kid of a fashion designer. yeah, right. half the time, i barely know what's going on in that mysterious "sewing room" of hers. anyway, i decided to take the job, though without the generous offer of a buck per blog, it probably wouldn't have happened. scratch that. it definitely wouldn't have happened. but, here i am, so i might as well resign myself to the inevitable.

Announcing our new websites!

OK, I know it's been awhile. Blogging has taken second... third... well, not first place for awhile. I've been up to creating a new brand for tweens, and a new website to go with it: southstreetclothing.com.

We've also moved pixyworld to .com as well. And we're working on getting our supply chain and our sales chain running more smoothly. It's a lot for a brand-new brand, so be patient with us! :)

A Hybrid Model for Garment Production

The traditional model seems so wasteful: make $20,000 worth of samples which you will distribute to your showrooms, ALL of which cost 3X the standard garment production cost, FEW to NONE of which will ever be sold to recoup any of the money.

In launching Pixyworld, we just couldn't do it. Why not do a real production run right off the bat, with reasonable production costs, and sell direct to the retail customer, at a reasonable retail price?

Well, this approach turned out not to be the whole solution either. Selling to the retail customer, "cold," without brand recognition, turned out to be unworkably slow. We realized that retailers and showrooms do provide a valuable service to the designer, especially the new designer.

So we have begun giving samples to showrooms and taking wholesale orders. Mind you, the samples we are giving them cost a fraction of the typical sample cost. Also, we believe we are giving retailers a much-needed option: to buy small quantities for immediate shipment, rather than ordering large quantites 6 months in advance. In today's retail climate, retailers need this kind of flexibility.

But there are still two down sides to this approach: First, it limits our sales potential to what we actually have in stock. Our fabrics, to date, are non-reorderable; so we have no way of taking orders for more garments than we had made initially. Second, we are finding that many retailers, used to the season-ahead ordering system, simply don't have money to spend on orders for immediate shipment; they have already spend this season's money, last season.

So our idea is to move toward a hybrid approach: make a moderate-sized first production run, rather than making samples. Make these garments available for immediate sale. But design the garments so that they are also re-orderable. This way, we can also be taking orders to be filled at the beginning of the next season.

This approach can only work if our collections are extremely versatile, season-wise. Also, it will only work while we are small enough to avoid the stigma attached to "last season's" designs. But those are exactly our strengths. Perhaps this can be a way forward for today's new boutique line.

Dressed 2009: Pixyworld on the Runway

I'm really not an "event" person. So it was out of my comfort zone to organize 12 mini-models, with male relatives as their escorts, for the fashion show in our area last weekend.

But I have to admit it was kind of fun, when it actually happened. The little girls were thrilled have their moment in the limelight, and I guess I was too!

It was even fun for my two boys, who can't model for Pixyworld, but enjoyed attending their first runway show. They got to come backstage, and were proud of their designing Mama.

My fashion mentor, Mary Gelhar (The Fashion Designer Survival Guide) questions the payoff of participating in runway shows. I have to agree with her there. The exposure gained is still so limited compared with the time, effort, and expense of participating in a show.

But interacting with models and other designers can stimulating and energizing. I'd say that it's worth doing, if a designer keeps in mind why she's doing it.

Also posted at Pixyworld Blog

The Princess Phenomenon

Disney Princesses have caused parents of little girls everywhere to stand up and take notice. The sheer volume of Princess products insures that even the most oblivious parent will have heard of them.

And, as with any big money-maker, the Princess movement has many enemies. Bloggers cite racism, traditional gender roles, and unrealistic expectations as some of their reasons for hating Disney Princesses.

Interestingly, I recently heard a different spin on the Princess Phenomenon. In a thoughtful sermon on the dignity of being human, my pastor pointed out that the connection between a little girl and a fairy-tale princess is instant, instinctive, and strong. Perhaps, he said, little girls are metaphorically glimpsing their true identity and destiny.

As a child of God, he said, every little girl is made to be a princess. And somewhere deep down, she knows it.

If this is the case, then I have my own beef with Disney. It seems to me they may be thoughtlessly exploiting is something that is tender and deeply human in the little girls they cater to. Is it OK to make money by producing princess products? I would say yes, but it has to be done with... well, love.

I myself am a designer of little girls' products. In all my designing, I need to think not just about our profit margins, but about the girls themselves. The litmus test has to be: Are our products supporting their dignity as true human Princesses? Or, to make it personal, is this a product that I want to give my own daughters, to help them learn who they truly are?

Also posted at Pixyworld Blog

Wholesale for a "Continuous" Line

When Pixyworld hired our first sales rep at Lace and Denim, Terrie asked me whether our line was "seasonal" or "continuous." It was a surprise (and a comfort) to me that a showroom would have a name for what we do. Rather than making $20,000 worth of samples a season ahead, then taking orders, and then manufacturing the product, we just make each collection once. We sell what we have, both retail and wholesale, and when it's gone, it's gone. Meanwhile, we are always working on new collections, to replace those that sell out.

The advantages of this are overwhelming from a manufacturing point of view. The fabrics we use are mainly non-reorderable: either we have them printed ourselves, or we buy yardage that is in very limited supply. And, as far as making samples a season ahead... adding an extra $20,000 to a season's bill does tend to drive product prices up!

So when we were contacted by Summer Place II, a showroom in the Southwest, we had hope that they would be able to accommodate continuous manufacturing. Although this wasn't the way they were accustomed to selling, they were willing to work with us. Gail, my contact there, said, "Typically our buyers spend budgets a season in advance, however, I think the need is growing for "pay as you go" ordering, so to speak. I have been seeing some success with my lines that carry inventory and are flexible with opening orders and reorders."

So Pixyworld Wholesale is now "good to go" with Summer Place II, thanks to her flexibility!